Russia-backed militants shelled the residential areas of Zaitseve with 122-mm and 152-mm artillery damaging several households. No civilian casualties were registered. “Militants opened small arms fire at the group of monitors from the Ukrainian delegation to the Joint Center for Control and Coordination who arrived in Zaitseve to record the destructions. No monitors were hurt,” reported Ministry of Defense spokesman Colonel Dmytro Hutsulyak at a press briefing at Ukraine Crisis Media Center.
Over the last day, Russian proxies made 45 attacks on Ukrainian troops’ positions. Ukrainian troops returned fire 22 times using the weapons not proscribed under the Minsk agreements.
In Luhansk sector, Russia-backed militants made five precision attacks. In Zaitseve area, militants fired at Ukrainian troops thirteen 152-mm artillery rounds. Starting from midday a hostile sniper was firing in this area for about an hour. Militants used 120-mm mortars near Troitske and 82-mm ones near Novooleksandrivka having fired a total of 12 rounds. Militants attacked Ukrainian troops’ positions near Luhanske with automatic grenade launchers.
In Donetsk sector, Russian proxies violated the ceasefire 40 times. “Russia-backed militants were the most active in Avdiivka, Vodiane, and Hnutove areas,” Colonel Hutsulyak said. Militants fired twelve rounds from 120-mm mortars near Hnutove and Vodiane. They also fired eight 82-mm mortar rounds outside Novotroitske. “Ukrainian strongholds Avdiivka, Verkhniotoretske, Vodiane, Hnutove, Kamianka, Slavne, Lebedynske, Nevelske, Novotroitske, Pavlopil, Opytne, Pishchevyk, Talakivka, Shyrokyne, and Shakhta Butovka areas came under fire of hostile small arms, heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and IFV mounted weapons,” the Ministry of Defense spokesperson said.
Unfortunately, one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and three more troops were wounded in action.
Report on the military developments as of April 17 is available here. Interactive data on the shelling: chronology shelling chart and the interactive map.
